In the Investment Climate Podcast, host Alex Shandrovsky interviews investors to uncover the benchmarks for funding Alt Proteins in 2025. In Episode 18, Anoop Shrikantaswamy, CEO of Moonrider, discusses how his company is electrifying agriculture with electric tractors for smallholder farmers. He shares insights on raising $2.2M without cold-pitching VCs, emphasizing the power of networking and shameless outreach in securing investors. Moonrider's goal is to empower farmers to produce more, earn more, and save more, recently raising a seed round from AdvantEdge Founders and Micelio Technology Fund.

Anoop's advice for founders includes bootstrapping until proof of concept, leveraging connections for warm introductions, and demonstrating a working prototype to build investor trust. Hands-on investors who physically experience the product are more likely to invest, as seen in Moonrider's success with showcasing their electric tractors. The podcast series provides valuable insights for founders in hard-tech and emerging markets, offering a behind-the-scenes look at successful funding strategies in the agrifood tech industry.